2009 JUNO AWARD NOMINEES:

JUNO Fan Choice Award
Celine Dion
Feist
Hedley
Nickelback
The Lost Fingers

Single of the Year
Celine Dion “Taking Chances”
Divine Brown “Lay It On the Line”
Kardinal Offishall “Dangerous”
Michael Bublé “Lost”
Nickelback “Gotta Be Somebody”

Artist of the Year
Bryan Adams
City and Colour
k.d. lang
Sam Roberts
Serena Ryder

Group of the Year
Great Big Sea
Nickelback
Simple Plan
The Trews
Tokyo Police Club

New Artist of the Year
Crystal Shawanda
Jessie Farrell
Kreesha Turner
Lights
Nikki Yanofsky

New Group of the Year
Beast
Cancer Bats
Crystal Castles
Plants and Animals
The Stills

Songwriter of the Year
Alanis Morissette
City and Colour
Gordie Sampson
Hedley
The Midway State

Adult Alternative Album of the Year
Hawksley Workman Between the Beautifuls
Kathleen Edwards Asking For Flowers
Ron Sexsmith Exit Strategy Of The Soul
Sarah Slean The Baroness
Serena Ryder is it ok

Alternative Album of the Year
Black Mountain In The Future
Chad VanGaalen Soft Airplane
Fucked Up The Chemistry Of Common Life
Plants and Animals Parc Avenue
The Stills Oceans Will Rise

Rap Recording of the Year
DL Incognito A Captured Moment In Time
D-Sisive The Book
Famous I Rap Now
Kardinal Offishall Not 4 Sale
Point Blank Point Blank

Once the title of American Idol has lost its luster on you because someone hotter has come along, there’s always musical theater to run to. Just like fellow Idol alums Fantasia Barrino, Clay Aiken, Diana DeGarmo, Frenchie Davis and Constantine Maroulis, ex-American Idol champ Taylor Hicks is heading to the Great White Way. The fallen idol is set to join the cast of ‘Grease’ as Teen Angel starting on June 6. He says he plans to add ‘soulful flavor’ to his performance of ‘Beauty School Dropout’. He also said that the flashy role is “a classic fit for a classic performer”. Did he just call himself a classic performer? I think he meant has-been.

Be sure to tune in, set your TiVos, DVRs, VCRs or whathaveyous! Alanis Morissette is set to appear on the following programs to promote her new album, Flavors of Entanglement, due out on June 10.

TV Appearance Schedule:
May 20 – Ellen
May 23 – The Today Show
June 9 – The Today Show
June 10 – Late Show With David Letterman
June 12 – Howard Stern (radio)
July 18 – Jimmy Kimmel Live!
June 11 – The View

Listen to Alanis’ new single, “Underneath,” below.

Quicktime:
Windows:

Watch it here

Click here to view the embedded video.

Any and all the American Idol wannabes this season might want to pay close attention especially if they want to go further than Ramiele Malubay. The Idol wannabe’s Spanish teacher at Zephyrhills High School leaked out something she distinctly remembered that could knock Ramiele off the show. Shorty is extremely allergic to peanuts! This can be some vital information for the other contestants who may feel that she’s a threat. Fortunately, based on previous performances, none of them have to resort to sabotage. Ramiele may want to eat peanuts herself just to get her out of humiliating herself any further.

I wrote about American Idol contestant – as of last Thursday, American Idol wannabe – Robbie Carrico having a full head of fake hair. Even AI judge Simon Cowell perhaps took shots at the piece when he told Robbie that his performance “just never ever felt real”. But the guy is singing a different tune. Robbie told People last Friday that he’s been growing his head of hair for a very long time and that it’s ridiculous that the media came up with something like that. So what were the spies inside Idol talking about with the Idol officials freaking out over his hair? I guess he just can’t accept the fate that gravity has given to his hairline.

Idol watchers are going nuts over 17 year old David Archuleta. His Tuesday performance of “Imagine” amazed fans and judges alike and placed David at the forefront of the Idol race.

Many are looking back and comparing this performance to Kelly Clarkson’s “Natural Woman” and Carrie Underwood’s “Alone”. Only difference – looks like this year’s winner will be a guy. David’s got an upperhand with the “tween” crowd of 10 to 16 year old girls!

Season 7 of American Idol may have the most talented group since the inception of the show – though that’s what they always say every season – but it hasn’t helped with the ratings any. The ratings are so down that the show is finding some new ways to get the cash to roll in. In a first, FOX is partnering with iTunes to offer Idol fans the opportunity to download the performances, both in audio and video format, of all the contestants the days after the show airs. Here’s a bit of my mind for FOX: no one would buy into this ploy. This is what TiVo and YouTube are for.